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Another chance for Gavin to smile

By Michael Hartwell, mhartwell@sentinelandenterprise.com

Updated:
07/22/2013 06:30:55 AM EDT

Gavin Strand
Courtesy photo

ASHBURNHAM -- As she headed out Friday morning to celebrate her son Gavin's one-year anniversary of being cancer-free, Katie Strand said she's glad he can help lend his smile for another Jimmy Fund fundraiser.

Gavin, who turned 2 last month, will be one of 30 people honored today during a ceremony at Fenway Park just before the Red Sox slug it out with the Tampa Bay Rays. The event marks the beginning of the 2013 Walk Hero program for the 25th annual Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk in September.

"We're just very thankful for the Jimmy Fund because without them Gavin wouldn't be where he is today," said Strand, 26.

She and her husband, Dan, have included Gavin in several cancer charities in the past year to benefit the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

"Hopefully, there'll be a cure someday and children won't have to go through this," Strand said.

In June 2012, right around his first birthday, Gavin was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Katie Strand left her job as a sales and service specialist at a bank to care for Gavin full time, which includes bringing him to Boston for treatment.

She said those treatments are still ongoing to be on the safe side, but to celebrate his remission anniversary they took him to the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut.

The Massachusetts Dental Society Miles and Smiles team will be walking 26.2 miles in honor of Gavin on Sept. 8.

Today, Gavin and the other "Walk Heroes" who range from children to adults will get to meet the teams that represent them.

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Strand said she's exchanged emails with some members of the team but has not spoken to any directly yet.

Last year, Katie and Dan Strand started a team that walked for five miles in the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk and raised nearly $7,000 to benefit the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Gavin came along in a stroller.

In April, a woman from Westboro ran the Boston Marathon in honor of Gavin.

As of Friday, the MDS Miles and Smiles team has raised $9,046 of its $50,000 goal.

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